How do you know when your windshield wiper blades need to be replaced?
The cleanliness of the windshield directly affects road safety. Many motorists change their wipers infrequently, but this should be done at least once a year. Replacing Lada-Granta windshield wiper blades depends on the service life, weather conditions, and the manufacturer.
Manufacturers now offer windshield wipers for Lada, which are equipped with a wear indicator. They cost a little more, but will tell the driver when replacement is required. Although motorists note that this identification is not entirely objective. The mark fades under the influence of ultraviolet radiation, rain or snow, so such indicators are not always decisive.
Factors indicating the need to replace wipers:
- Cloudy glass. This could be chemical contamination, but most often indicates that the corners of the wiper blades are damaged and need to be replaced.
- Uncleaned areas of the windshield of different diameters. Indicate deformation of the rubber element of the brushes or a large amount of accumulated ice or dirt on the glass.
- The brush jumps or leaves vertical stripes uncleaned. Most often, the defect occurs when using classic “Grants” frame wipers. Indicates that the brushes are loose or there is no play.
Replacing windshield wiper blades
Replacing windshield wiper blades
We replace brushes when the quality of glass cleaning deteriorates, approximately once a year - preferably before the start of the autumn-winter period. The length of the left (driver's) windshield wiper blade is 600 mm, the length of the right blade is 410 mm.
Be careful when removing the brushes: the lever under the action of the spring may suddenly drop onto the glass and break it. Clean dirty brushes with a rag moistened with water or a special product. If the brushes are very dirty or covered with ice, they should be removed and cleaned. To do this, move the lever with the brush away from the windshield.
Press the brush locking tab...
...and move the brush down from the hook of the lever so that the brush lock comes out of the hook.
Remove the brush from the lever. If you need to replace the brush retainer...
...move it from the brush axis and remove it. Similarly, remove the other windshield wiper blade. Install the brushes in reverse order.
Reviews about brushes
Denso Wiper Blade Hybrid
Optimal size
The standard size of the Lada-Grant windshield wipers on the windshield, which is indicated in the instruction manual, is 60 cm on the driver’s side and 41 cm on the passenger’s side. At the same time, on the left (driver's side) the maximum size of the brushes is indicated. If you set it even 1 cm more, the wipers will knock and fail faster. On the right passenger side it is possible to increase the length of the brushes. The maximum length in this case will be 45 cm.
Most often, when replacing, drivers prefer to choose a longer wiper on the passenger side as it cleans the windshield better. The price in this case differs slightly.
Types of wiper blades
Car wiper blades can be divided into the following categories:
1. Frame wipers are the most common and “ancient” type of wipers. The design of this product is a thin metal plate on which a rubber strip is securely attached.
Types of frames: a – four-support (three rocker arms); b – six-support (five rocker arms); c – eight-support (seven rocker arms); 1 – rocker arms; 2 – clamp (support); 3 – adapter; 4 – tape; 5 – hinge.
The main advantage of such a product is its low cost and uniform fit of the brush to the windshield. The disadvantages of this design are its fragility. Over time, the fastening becomes loose and the rubber strip separates from the guide plate.
This type of windshield wiper is less suitable for winter use.
2. Frameless - in such products there is no metal frame, and the brush is a rubber-plastic plate that can be installed on the lever of almost any car.
Included with this product is an adapter, with which you will not have any difficulties installing the windshield wiper on both foreign and domestic cars.
Frameless model with built-in spoiler
Frameless products are great for winter use. Ice, snow or rain cannot reduce the efficiency of wipers of this design.
Frameless windshield wipers do an excellent job in the summer, so after winter use there is no need to replace them with products of a different design.
3. Winter - a frame type of windshield wipers, in which the working surface is packed in a protective cover. Additional protection allows the wiper to operate effectively by preventing the icing process even after heavy rain with a subsequent decrease in air temperature.
Winter model with rubber cover
The main disadvantage of wipers of this design is the high aerodynamic resistance, due to which such blades begin to vibrate on the windshield at high speeds. For this reason, it is recommended to replace them as soon as the danger of spring frosts has passed.
4. Hybrids are the best for winter use. The design of hybrid windshield wipers has good aerodynamic performance, no freezing and insufficient contact with the surface of the windshield.
The only drawback of such products is their high cost, but given the increased wear resistance and all-season use, you can spend a little more money on purchasing high-quality wipers for your car.
5. In addition to the listed models of windshield wipers for winter use, you can install heated wipers.
Such products are connected to the vehicle’s on-board network and make it easy to clear the working surface of the cleaner from ice, even at temperatures below minus 20 degrees.
The cost of heated windshield wipers starts from 2,500 rubles, so their purchase is justified only if the car is actively used in the winter season.
The best models of winter windshield wipers
To figure out what the best windshield wiper blades for winter are on sale today, below is a rating of such products that have proven themselves especially well when used in conditions of sub-zero air temperatures.
1. DENSO NDDS - all-season frame blade for car windshield wipers.
DENSO NDDS - the softest of the frames
This brush is one of the few models with a frame for use in the winter season. One of the shortcomings that does not affect the efficiency of work is creaking during operation after the first winter season.
2. ALCA WINTER is a frameless wiper model that is ideal for use in harsh winter conditions.
The advantage of this model is that even with a significant decrease in air pressure, the rubber does not harden. The only drawback of the brushes of this model is its not very attractive appearance. The brushes look rather unusual on small cars, but for installation on an SUV, this design is quite suitable.
In any case, when spring comes, ALCA WINTER brushes will need to be replaced with summer models, otherwise the hot summer sun will quickly deteriorate the rubber.
3. SPARCO SPC-10XX is a universal all-season model of windshield wipers that will not need to be changed throughout the year. The brushes clean the surface of the windshield equally well, both during winter snowfall and during heavy summer rain.
Alternative sizes
Motorists approach the issue of selecting wipers for Lada individually. Some people don’t like blades that are too long, while others, on the contrary, are sure that the more area the windshield is cleaned, the better.
The standard size of 60 x 40 cm is still the most common. Although a good alternative is considered to be a length of 60 x 45 cm or 60 x 42.5. It is worth noting that the total length of the brushes should not exceed 105 cm. The left brush is always located above the right one.
Most often, frameless wipers “Lada-Grants” are offered with a size of 60 x 45 cm. They are easy to use and have a longer service life.
The cheapest option is the frame brushes that come with a new car, but they don’t last long.
Which Lada-Granta windshield wiper blades are best to buy?
The standard length dimensions for Lada-Grant wipers are 60 x 41 cm. It is not recommended to purchase ones that are too large, since they will not fit tightly to the glass, and therefore will not clean the surface properly.
What to look for when purchasing:
- High-quality wipers are odorless, but cheap analogues emit an unpleasant odor.
- Brushes must be elastic. If sharp corners are formed when bending, then the wiper will leave large uncleaned areas.
- The brushes, namely the rubber and metal parts, must be clearly marked.
- When selecting wipers, you should pay attention to the quality of the components. For example, rubber must be resistant to chemicals and temperature changes. And also there should be no traces of rubber on the glass, this indicates its low quality.
- The brush should work silently. Any noise or scraping on the glass indicates that the size was chosen incorrectly or the installation was carried out incorrectly.
Car owners are also wondering what type of brushes to choose for their Lada. The price, as well as the quality of cleaning the windshield, directly depends on this.
Wipers can be of three types:
- Frame ones are the cheapest. They are easy to use, but quickly become dirty and unusable.
- Frameless. The most popular in the middle price segment, they are durable and of high-quality construction, but do not clean spherical or strongly curved windshields well.
- Hybrid wipers are a new generation. The type of construction is similar to frame ones, but they have higher wear resistance, so they are expensive and are not yet available for all cars.
Common Mistake
When selecting the size of wipers for the Lada-Granta, it is worth considering many nuances. This also applies to the speed at which the car will move. For example, frameless brushes work well at speeds up to 60 km/h; they can also be used at 80 km/h. If the speed is higher, they will not fit tightly to the glass, and accordingly, it will be difficult to clean the windshield. Outwardly, they will look great, and when you gain speed they will simply “take off.”
What happens if you choose the wrong size wipers?
If the size of the Lada-Grant wipers is chosen incorrectly, the service life of the brushes will be reduced, and this will also entail a lot of unpleasant moments. This applies even to deviations from the standard length of 10–15 mm.
How to understand that the length of the wipers is chosen incorrectly:
- The glass is difficult to clean even after prolonged operation of the wipers. Ideally, the brush should clean the windshield in an average of three passes over it. The quality of cleaning decreases when the wiper is not pressed tightly against the glass.
- During operation, the brush touches the rubber seal on the windshield and cleans in stripes.
- During operation, the wipers (right and left) touch each other and slow down movement, and accordingly affect the driver’s viewing angle. This indicates that the wiper blades are too long. Sometimes long brushes can even touch the driver's door, which is accompanied by a knock.
- Wipers that are too small clean a small area of the windshield, reducing visibility through it, especially on the driver's side.
Recommendations for selection
Let's consider several product manufacturers:
- Frameless Bosch Aerotwin. Belgian-made products are equipped with native fastenings; the main advantage is a long service life, as well as aerodynamics and the absence of extraneous sounds during operation.
- SWF VisioNext - also of the frameless type, equipped with a hook type mount. The products are manufactured by Valeo, which also produces many other types of components and parts for cars.
- Bosch Twin Spoiler frame brushes. Dimensions fit standard Granta windshield wipers. Despite the fact that the products are frame, they are quite reliable and have a long service life.
- Champion Aerovantage. This manufacturer has been on the market for quite a long time, during which time it has been able to win the trust of many of our compatriots. The products belong to the premium segment of the market and are equipped with a steel frame.
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